Multi-port free flow valve and element

ABSTRACT

A multi-port valve arrangement and removable valve element for use in sanitary environments that comprises at least three ports formed by the joining of at least two valve casing bodies at angles necessary to accommodate multiple connecting fluid streams. A seamless, flexible element is used within the valve arrangement to connect the fluid streams. The valve casings may be hinged on one side to permit removal of the top portion of the valve casings and removal/exchange of the flexible element without complete disassembly of the valve casing and without the use of tools.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the field of fluid handling andpositive shutoff-type flow valves. Specifically, the invention pertainsto multi-port valves with smooth, non-contaminating straight-throughfluid flow for use primarily in the sanitary industries. Morespecifically, the invention pertains to pinch-type valves thatincorporate a flexible, compressible and gasket-less tubing element tocreate smooth, non-contaminating fluid flow and to create easy andinexpensive removal, disposal and replacement of all wetted surfaces(ie, surfaces making contact with fluid product). One such valve isdisclosed in patent application Ser. No. 10/638,658 owned by theassignee of the present invention, the entire disclosure of which isfully incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

In many industries, the system for fluid handling must be extremelysanitary and easily cleanable. For example, industries such asbiological R&D, biological pilot plants and biological and foodproduction facilities require steam-in-place (SIP) sterilization andclean-in-place (CIP) sanitization for process systems. Thus, valves usedin these systems must have certain characteristics to be SIP/CIPcapable. Specifically, these valves should be able to withstand thepressure of SIP/CIP procedures, should be completely drainable andshould have product contact surfaces that do not yield byproducts thatcan leach into the process stream after SIP/CIP.

In the sanitary industries, the most prevalent type of valve used is thediaphragm valve. To date, diaphragm valve technology has been the onlyvalve technology to develop multi-port or valve clusters that minimizedead leg. Historically these valves have been viewed as sanitary andeasy to clean. However, diaphragm valves possess specific drawbacks thatcan be significantly improved upon for applications in the sanitaryindustries. One such universal limitation is that diaphragm valves donot provide a smooth, seamless passageway for fluid flow, as thediaphragms themselves have sealing points and fluid must travel up andaround a weir.

Several diaphragm valves have been designed to be SIP/CIP capable anddrainable to meet the requirements of sanitary processes. For example,in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,561, Kerg et al. describe a radial diaphragmvalve having an elongated stem with a circumferential recess thatreceives a seal whose function is to separate the process fluid from theinterior of the actuator.

Though Kerg's valve is SIP/CIP capable and drainable, this valve isincapable of having multiple ports and does not possess a productcontact area that is entirely disposable. Also, the seal in theelongated stem creates crevices that can potentially trap and harborcontaminants or can potentially leak.

Cordova (U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,566) and Kovacs et al (U.S. Pat. No.6,237,637) provide diaphragm valves that have multiple ports and areSIP/CIP capable and drainable. Cordova provides a multi-use sterileaccess/GMP diaphragm valve housing block having a main flow axis andhaving a first port and an opposing second port extending to a first andsecond passage, respectively, separated by a main flow weir.

Kovacs' invention is a diverter valve casing that includes a body with abase and plurality of walls that cooperatively form a chamber, apartition within the chamber dividing the chamber into a plurality ofcompartments. The partition further includes a surface partiallydefining the first compartments that is partially sloped. Drawbacks toboth the Cordova and Kovacs valves are that these inventions createlarge sealing areas that can be sites for contamination, and they do notoffer an entirely disposable product contact area(s). In addition,Cordova's valve requires difficult installation, as the valve must be ofa particular orientation to achieve proper drainage.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,134, Browne et al. also provides a diaphragmvalve that is drainable. Browne's sanitary valve is comprised of a valvebody, a diaphragm and an actuator. The valve body features a cavitydefined by the inventor as a “fluid chamber”, which has holes in theside and bottom of the cavity for passage of fluid. Passages connect theholes to ports outside the valve body. A diaphragm is mounted over thecavity, a raised area that controls fluid flow through the valve. Thoughthis valve provides drainage, again the diaphragm creates a large sealto protect the contents of the valve from the outside and does not offera product contact area that is completely disposable, limiting thesterility and easy cleaning of this invention.

Hoobyar et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,500) also provides a drainable valvethat is SIP/CIP capable. This sanitary bottom tank valve features oneinlet flow passage to communicate flow into the valve body and to atleast one outlet passage. An actuator is secured to the valve body tomove a diaphragm in an open or closed position in relation to the inletflow passageway. The main valve passage is typically mounted to thebottom of a tank, which does provide drainage. Hoobyar's valve islimited in its ability to be incorporated into a standard piping system.This valve also has the same shortcomings as those previously described,in that the diaphragm creates a large seal and the valve does notprovide a completely disposable product contact area.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,523 to Trimble, a valve comprised of a bodydefining a through passage, a branch passage and an aperture in the wallof the through passage. A diaphragm, which the inventor defines as a“closure member”, is movable between an open and closed position toestablish communication between the through and branch passages.Trimble's valve is drainable and SIP/CIP capable. However, the diaphragmcreates a large seal that is necessary to protect its fluid contentsfrom the outside environment, and it does not provide a completelydisposable product contact area.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,985, Bergmann provides a three-way pinch valveoperated by a solenoid with one pinch valve mounted on each end andconstructed such that one valve is normally open while the other valveis normally closed. The valve is made three-way by connecting the tubingfrom the two pinch valves to a T-fitting with a single outlet.Bergmann's valve eliminates the sealing surfaces and weirs associatedwith the above diaphragm valve designs, but this valve is not SIP/CIPcapable, and the three fluid channels cannot be engaged independently.

Valves used for sanitary fluid transfer must not contaminate the fluidproduct, nor allow internal or external sources of contamination toenter the process stream. Sources of contamination from inside the valvecan include material from the valve itself or accumulated residue fromcleaning that is entrapped in the valve. Sources of contamination fromoutside a valve include any material that can enter through seals ordiaphragm sealing surfaces. Such sources include germs, viruses ormicroorganisms in fluids used to actuate the valve. To eliminateinternal and external sources of contamination, it is necessary that thevalve's product contact surfaces be noncontaminating and the valve bodydoes not have sealing points.

To effectively eliminate contamination, valves for sanitary applicationsshould have a smooth, reliable passageway that is completely drainableto prevent any entrapment of fluid material. In order to be compatiblewith the often complex configuration of fluid-handling systems, it iscritical that the valve be small, simple and equipped with tubingelements that are easy to change out.

Valves used for sanitary fluid transfer should also be designed tominimize dead leg. A complete discussion of the phenomenon of dead legcan be found in the ASME/BPE Guidelines 1999, Part SD “Design forSterility and Cleanability”; Part SG “Equipment Seals.”

There is a need in the industry for a pinch-type valve arrangement thatovercomes the problems of multi-port diaphragm and pinch valvescurrently used in the sanitary industries. Specifically, there is a needfor a valve arrangement that provides multiple smooth, seamless andreliable fluid pathways that are SIP/CIP capable, easily disposed of andfully drainable with the valve in any position.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved multi-port valve arrangementor “cluster” that can be used in sanitary environments, for example. Thevalve of the present invention comprises at least three key components:the body of the valve, which features a straight-through bore fitting aflexible sleeve (referred to here forward as “element”), that has anaxial length longer than that of the valve body; the top-works, whichare used to depress or squeeze the tubing element; and the tubingelement.

One embodiment of the invention provides a three-port valve whereby thefirst port (Port X) is along the main axis, which is split into a secondport (Port Y) continuing along the same axis and a third port (Port Z)that continues on a perpendicular flow path. A child valve casing isjoined to a parent valve casing through an outlet on the side of theparent valve casing, perpendicular to the direction of flow in the childvalve casing. The child valve casing is nearly identical in design tothe parent valve casing, and can be engineered to have the same sideoutlet as the parent valve casing for connection to additional valves,so that, importantly, the scope of the present invention is not limitedto one parent valve casing and one child valve casing. It will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that numerous child valve casingscan be added in series to the valve cluster, as many as required for theparticular application in use.

An embodiment of the present invention comprises a valve clustercomprising five main aspects: the parent valve casing, the parent valveactuating device, the child valve casing, the child valve actuatingdevice and the internal element. The parent valve casing provides axialcommunication of fluid through Ports X and Y, whereas the child valvecasing provides communication of the fluid in a path perpendicular tothe parent valve through Port Z. The internal element lines the insideof the parent and child valve casings wherein the fluid is transferred.

Both the top and bottom halves of the parent and child valve casings canbe separated to remove the flexible tubing element by detaching bolts,screws or other similar devices. Optionally, the top and bottom halvesof the parent and child valves are connected on one side by a hinge,which enables the flexible tubing element to be removed withoutcompletely separating the two halves of each respective valve's casing.Preferably, the two halves are connected on the non-hinged side by asingle connection, such as a bolt, locking screw or other device that isoperable without the use of tools.

There are three styles of topworks available on the parent and childvalve casings: manual, fail-close actuated and fail-open actuated.Fail-close actuators are designed to default to the closed position whenno air is present. Fail-open actuators are designed to default to theopen position when no air is present. In the present invention, both theactuating device for the parent valve and the actuating device for thechild valve operate independently of one another. The valve's openingand closing action occurs on the precompressed flexible valve tubingelement, which is comprised of durable materials. The principaladvantage of this method is that the valve can see over 5 millionopen-and-close cycles. This provides a reliable, long-lasting valvetubing element that can withstand repeated openings and closings andrepeated SIP/CIP cycles.

The only aspect of the valve that directly contacts the process fluid isthe single-piece tubing element that extends through both the parent andchild valve casings of the greater valve cluster. A principal advantageof this is the ability to remove and dispose of the element and,therefore, all product contact materials (all wetted surfaces).According to one embodiment of the present invention, the tubing elementis comprised of three tubes molded into a single-piece construction withthree terminating ends. Each end can terminate in a molded tri-clampwith an integrated gasket. As the valve tubing element is molded as asingle, crevice-free piece that directly connects to the process system,no seals are required to protect fluid material within the valve fromcontaminants originating outside the system. By eliminating internalseals or weirs, the tubing element does not provide seams or crevices inwhich unwanted contaminants can be trapped or grow.

Tubing elements for the present invention are manufactured in a singlestep by joining two or more pre-molded or extruded tubes of silicone,PTFE-composite, thermoplastics or other composite materials. Each tubecan be unlimited in length or can be cut to provide ends on whichtri-clamps with integrated gaskets can be molded on. Element endsfeaturing molded tri-clamps with integrated gaskets are tolerance fittedto the valve casing and can be molded in the same step as the jointconnection of the tubes. The element end can also be fitted with backupcups for use in alternative style valve casings.

The joining process of the individual tubes is performed in a singlestep by placing the tubes on a pre-molded thermoset piece with hollowends. Before the tubing is placed on the thermoset piece, a stainlesssteel mandrel is fit into each leg of the piece. The mandrels are usedto prevent the thermoset piece from collapsing when filling the moldwith material that will cure to the tubing. The end of each mandrel isthreaded so that it can be removed using an extraction device, which isalso threaded. The extraction device is secured into the stainless steelmandrel and then pulled to remove the attached mandrels and thermosetpiece.

Though the present invention describes a flexible tubing element withone junction connection, an unlimited number of junction molds can beadded to connect the fluid paths of additional valve casings andadditional valve clusters.

As a result of this molding process, the element has a consistent,straight-through cylindrical bore. The principal advantage of thisaspect is that all ports of the tubing element are completely drainablein any position. The straight-through bore provides an unobstructedfluid flow path which prevents process shear or damage. As the tubingelement is a single molded piece, there are no seams or crevices toentrap contaminants. Because the molding process is performed in asingle step, a disposable tubing element is a cost-effective option forthe user of the present invention.

In the present invention, the dead leg created between the parent valveand child valve has been minimized in order to maximize theeffectiveness of SIP/CIP due to the seamless connection between thevalves using the single element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides a side view of a pneumatically-activated parent valvecasing with integral flange bodies.

FIG. 2 provides a side view of a manually-activated parent valve casingwith integral flange bodies.

FIG. 3 provides an end view of a pneumatically-activated parent valvecasing with integral flange bodies.

FIG. 4 provides an end view of a manually-activated parent valve casingwith integral flange bodies.

FIG. 5 provides an end view of a hinged parent or child valve casing.

FIG. 6 illustrates end view of a parent or child valve casing hingedopen.

FIG. 7 illustrates an aerial view of one embodiment of the multi-portflexible element for a two valve application.

FIG. 8 illustrates an aerial view of another embodiment of the flexibleelement with one valve leg and two other attachments.

FIG. 9 illustrates an aerial view of an embodiment of the flexibleelement with one valve leg, one equipment attachment, and one legs ofcontinuous tubing.

FIG. 10 illustrates an aerial view of an embodiment of the flexibleelement with one equipment attachment and two legs of continuous tubing.

FIG. 11 illustrates a valve cluster of one parent and one child valvecasings incorporating the flexible element.

FIG. 12 illustrates a side view of a pneumatically-activated parentvalve casing and the flexible element with integral backup cups.

FIG. 13 provides a side view of a manually-activated parent valve casingand the flexible element with integral backup cups.

FIG. 14 illustrates a cross-section of the flexible element with thebackup cups.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a novel straight-through multi-port valveand removable tubing element. Generally, each valve casing provided hasat least three key components: the body of the valve, which features astraight-through bore; the top-works, which are used to depress orsqueeze the tubing element; and the tubing element. Preferably, theelement has an axial length longer than the valve body. According to oneembodiment of the invention, at least one “parent” and one “child” valvecasings are connected to provide an at least three-port valve clusterwhereby the first two ports are along one axis, and the third portprovides a perpendicular flow path. Additional valve casings can beadded in series, as many as required for the particular application inuse. The “parent” and “child” valve casings of the present invention arenearly identical in nature, and therefore will be collectively discussedat times throughout the description of this invention as “the valve” or“the valve casing” when referring to identical features of the parentand child valve casings.

FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate two different views of a parent valve casingaccording to the present invention, with a pneumatic actuator 100 thatrequires air pressure in order to operate the valve. FIGS. 2 and 4illustrate two different views of a parent valve casing of the presentinvention with a manual actuator 101, which allows the valve to beoperated by human hand. The top and bottom portions 1, 2 of oneembodiment of the parent valve casing 102 with integral flange bodies106 are labeled on FIG. 1.

A piston is located in both actuator types 100, 101 in the valve, asshown in FIGS. 1 through 4 that pushes a compression bar 7. Thecompression bar 7 has a smooth radius to prevent cutting of the tubingelement 12 when engaged and is operably connected to both pneumatic andmanual actuator styles 100, 101, as shown on FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively,for closing the parent valve. Referring to FIG. 2, preferably the manualversion of the valve prevents the flexible tubing element 12 from beingover-compressed by having the topworks 4 bottom out on the manual stem 6when the actuator 101 is fully engaged or closed. In FIG. 1, thepneumatically actuated version of the valve, accomplishes the latter byhaving components in the actuator 100 bottom out when fully engaged orclosed. Preventing over-compression of the element 12 in bothpneumatically and manually actuated versions of the valve increases thelife of the tubing element 12.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the parent valve of the presentinvention, which is a continuous valve casing 102 with integral flangebodies 106 to receive flexible element 12 which has tri-clamp ends 20that are tolerance fitted to the valve casing 102 at the lip 21 of eachend of the casing. The fitting of the element into the valve embodimentsof the present invention is described in greater detail below.

Referring briefly to FIG. 11, a parent valve 32 is connected to a childvalve 34. Preferably the only difference between the parent and childvalve casings being one slightly tapered end 35 on the child valve 34that is smaller than the lip 21 provided on both ends of the parentvalve casing 32 or the other end of the child valve casing 34. Thetapered end fits directly into a fitted lock-in groove 36 directlyinside outlet 37 on the parent casing 32 in order to seamlessly join thevalve casings into a valve cluster 30.

FIG. 5 illustrates the end view of a parent or child valve casingaccording to the present invention, without an actuator. The top andbottom halves 1, 2 of the valve are connected by a hinge 18 on one side,which allows the flexible tubing element 12 to be accessed or replacedwithout having to completely separate the two halves 1, 2 of the valvecasing. The valve is opened without the use of tools or equipment via abolt or pivot pin 17 comprised, for example, of a threaded locking screw13, 16 and movable saddle 14. The element 12 is removed by loosening thelocking screw 13, 16 on the valve casing until the respective saddle 14releases from the catch 15 on the valve body, allowing the top half ofthe casing 1 to be hinged open, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The removable element 12 of the present invention is illustrated incloser detail in FIG. 7. The element 12 is a flexible tube having two“legs” 22, 24, each of which has an axial length longer than that of therespective valve body for which the “legs” 22, 24 fit, to permit axialcompression of the element 12 when locked into place in the valve casing102 shown in FIG. 1. The gasket 10 on the element 12 end fit directlyinto the casing 102. The remaining external equipment or pipingattachment 25 on the element 12 contains the tri-clamp end 20 butwithout the extra length that is required of “legs” 22, 24. Axialcompression of the element when it is used in a valve casing minimizestension of the element 12, thus, extending the life of the element 12 byreducing stress that arises when the actuator is closed. The tri-claimends 20 are tolerance fitted onto valve casing 102 at the integralflange bodies 106 which stabilizes element 12, a critical feature whenthe valve is permanently installed.

As shown in the embodiment of the element 12 in FIG. 7, a tri-clamp end20 is molded over the ends of the tubing element 12 that extend outsidethe valve casings and that extend to a piece of equipment or processpiping, etc. The tri-clamp end 20 can be composed of platinum-curedsilicone and has a sanitary gasket 10 molded onto the face, making itfully integrated and crevice free. This allows the valve to be connectedto the next piece of equipment without the use of separate gaskets,thus, eliminating potential entrapment areas that can promote the growthof bacteria.

FIG. 7 illustrates the flexible element 12 which has a molded Tconnection 26 that matches the intersection of three valve ports X, Y,and Z inside a parent/child valve cluster 30 such as that provided inFIG. 11. Said T connection 26 is molded such that a seamless,straight-through bore is created to provide unobstructed fluidcommunication through all ports. The entire removable element 12 iscrevice free with no internal gaskets or flanges.

Another important aspect of this invention is the versatility in whichthis device can be used in sanitary applications. Because the elementcan be fabricated with unlimited, seamless lengths of tubing, it can beattached to systems with any distance between connection devices, butremain SIP/CIP capable, as the system can still be steamed up to thevalve when in the closed position. This lends particular advantages toboth sampling processes and additions to process streams.

For example, referring to FIG. 1, in sampling processes, Port X can beconnected to the process equipment whereby both the parent valve 32 andchild valve 34 are in the closed position. Port Z can be connected to acondensate line. Port Y can either be connected to the sampling deviceor, preferably, the tubing element 12 can continue outside of the parentvalve 32 and be directly connected to one or more sampling devices.After the parent valve 32 has been connected to the process equipment,the child valve 34 can be opened and the tubing element 12 steamedthrough. As dead leg is virtually absent, sterility is ensured. Thechild valve 34 can then be closed with the parent valve 32 alternatelyopened to allow process fluid to flow into one or more sampling devices.

During an “addition” process, the same method as the above describedsterilization and sampling process can be performed. However, processfluid from an “addition device” is added to the process equipment andfluid transfer stream. In either parent valve 32 or a child valve 34,fluid may flow in either direction.

Sampling and addition processes represent just two examples of how avalve arrangement according to the present invention can be used innon-traditional valve applications. Those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate that the invention may be used in many differentapplications.

As described in the examples above, the flexible element of the presentinvention can be manufactured to contain any different configuration of“legs”, tri-clamp connections for external equipment or piping, orextended seamless lengths of tubing for other process uses. FIG. 8, forexample, illustrates the flexible element 12 for use with a single valveand multiple equipment or piping fittings rather than a two or morevalve configuration. As shown in FIG. 8, there is only one “leg” 28 oftubing with a tri-clamp end 20 and molded-in sanitary gasket 10 for usein a valve casing. The remaining other two tri-clamp ends 20 areprovided at external equipment attachments 40 and 42.

According to another embodiment, FIG. 9 shows that the tubing element 12can be provided with seamless T connection 26, a single “leg” 44 with atri-clamp end 20 for use with a single valve casing, and an extendedlength of tubing 46. Rather than terminating at molded tri-clamp ends 20with integrated gaskets 10, any part of the tubing element 12 can beprovided at any desired length. This allows for use in systems with anydistance between connection devices. This provides a seamless, SIP/CIPcapable system for sanitary processes without needing to connect tooutside piping that may not provide the same seamless, sanitaryadvantages as those provided by the present invention. It will beunderstood by those of skill in the art that the extended tubing element12 can be molded as part of the T connection 26 of the presentinvention, and can be any desired length.

FIG. 10 provides the same T connection 26 of element 12 with twounlimited tubing lengths 48 and 50, and a single tri-clamp end 20, eachof which can be used to connect to equipment, existing piping, samplingdevices, etc.

Principal options for the materials of construction for the flexibletubing element are 1) a composite of PTFE and silicone, 2) a compositeof PTFE and a fluoroelastomer, and 3) platinum-cured silicone. However,said flexible element can be constructed of any thermoplastic materialsuitable for clean-in-place and steam-in-place processes.

To manufacture the tubing element 12 shown in FIGS. 7 through 10 and 14,the tubing material is taken in bulk form and cut to a specific desiredlength but not shorter than the valve casing for which the tubingmaterial will be used, in the case where the element 12 is to be used inone or more valve casings. Next a thermoset piece is fitted withmandrels that are threaded on one end. The cut pieces of tubing are thenplaced over the ends of said thermoset piece with said attached mandrelsto form the desired junction configuration. For example, FIG. 7 shows aT configuration with T connection 26. Other configurations can beproduced, and the method of manufacturing the element of the presentinvention is not limited to a T configuration.

Next, the assembly is placed in a mold and liquid silicone is injectedinto the mold cavities, which form the tri-clamp ends 20 with integratedgaskets 10 and said T connection 26, as shown, for example, in FIG. 7.The element 12 is molded to a specific length in order to form therequired “legs” 22, 24 based on the lengths of the valve bodies.

The junction connections in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 are molded using the samemethod. Before the tubing is placed on the thermoset piece with thethreaded mandrels and molded over, the tubing is cut to the desiredlength. Then the assembly is placed in a mold with the desired junctionconnection and number, if any, of tri-clamp end molds.

When backup cups 8 are used on the element 12 as shown in FIG. 14,rather than using a parent casing with integral flange bodies, thebackup cups 8 are joined to the ends of the element 12 at the tri-clampends 20 by molding liquid injection platinum-cured silicone over eachend of the tubing element 12, as necessary, for the desired application.Although not shown, the flexible element 12 shown in FIG. 14 is alsomanufactured with junction connections using the same method discussedabove.

FIG. 11 illustrates an aerial view of a single parent/single child valvecluster 30 when one parent 32 and one child 34 valves are joined, withthe flexible tubing element 12 of the configuration provided in FIG. 7installed. The actuators for the valves are not shown in FIG. 11, inorder to show the positions of the compressor bars 7 in each valvecasing. In order to permit for the connection of the multiple valvecasings, at least one of the valve casings in a cluster must have a sideoutlet 37 to connect the valve casings, e.g. a parent 32 and child 34,as shown in FIG. 11. Because the number of valve casings in a valvecluster is not infinite, the child valve casing 34 of the presentinvention is also engineered without a side outlet, so that once a valvecluster 30 is complete, a terminal child valve casing is employed. Theterminal child valve casing used at the terminal end of a valve clusterwill not have an outlet 37, as shown in FIG. 11. It will be apparent toone skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to acertain number of valve casings or attachments to existing pipingequipment, sampling devices, etc., but also that the number of valvecasings that can be used is not infinite, and therefore it is necessaryand within the scope of this invention to also engineer a child valvecasing without an outlet.

Still, referring to FIG. 11, the child valve casing 34 is shown with aslightly tapered end 35 that is smaller than the lip 21 provided on bothends of the parent valve casing 32 or the other end of the child valvecasing 34. The tapered end 35 fits directly into a fitted lock-in groove36 directly inside outlet 37 on the parent casing 32. As needed, thechild valve casing 34 of the present invention is manufactured with atleast one slightly tapered end 35 to accommodate fitting into anotherone or more valve outlets 37. The tapered end 35 is preferably the onlydifference between the parent casing 32 and child casing 34 (that is nota terminal child valve casing) of the present invention.

To install the tubing element 12 into a valve cluster 30, both parent 32and child 34 valve casings should be hinged open (as shown in FIG. 6).Next, the tapered end 35 of the child valve casing 34 is fitted into thelock-in groove 36 at the outlet 37 of the of the parent valve. Thetapered end 35 of the child valve casing 34 is tolerance fitted so thatit self-aligns with the groove 36 of the parent valve. The flexibletubing element 12 is correctly aligned with and placed in the bottomhalves of the parent 32 and child 34 valve casings. Next, the top halfof the child valve casing 34 is closed over the element 12 and thensecured in the closed position by tightening the locking screw 13, 16 ofthe pivot pin 17 until the saddle 14 hooks into the catch 15 and cannotbe tightened further. The top half of the parent valve casing 32 is thenclosed over the tubing element 12. The parent valve is then securedclosed by tightening the pivot pin 17 until the saddle 14 hooks into thecatch 15 and cannot be tightened further. This forms the valve cluster30. The element 12 is connected to external piping and/or equipmentusing sanitary connections that extend beyond the outside of all ends or“ports” of the valve cluster 30, eliminating internal connections.

It should be noted that an actuator in use with one valve, as shown, forexample in FIGS. 1 through 4, when in operation with a valve cluster 30containing more than one valve such as that shown in FIG. 11, can beengaged in sync with or independently of the other valves in the cluster30.

The parent valve of the present invention can also be designed withoutthe integral flange bodies such that the flexible element 12 ismanufactured with specialized backup cups 8, i.e. flanges, on the ends.FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate this alternative embodiment of the valvecasings of the present invention. Parent valve casing 104 that has aslightly shorter valve casing body than the valve casing 102 in FIGS. 1and 2. Referring to FIG. 12, the element 12 has specialized backup cups8 that are tolerance fitted onto the molded ends 20 of the tubingelement 12 and which lock into the upper and lower halves 1, 2 of thevalve body 104 via grooves 9 on the valve casing 104 and a protrudinglip 11 on each backup cup 8. The backup cups 8 prevent movement of theelement 12 within the valve during operation, which increases the lifeof the element 12. FIG. 14 illustrates a cross-section of element 12with the backup cups 8. The backup cups can be tolerance fitted onto theends of any element of the present invention.

For example, the embodiment of the element 12 shown in FIG. 7 can bemanufactured with backup cups 8 at equipment attachment 25 and “legs”22, 24.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the valvecluster 30 of FIG. 11 is designed as a single piece such that theindividual parent 32 and child 34 valve clusters are molded togetherinto one piece, and outlet 37 is obviously therefore not required.

The above description provides only an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention for the purposes of illustration and not limitation.It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that theembodiment described herein may be modified or revised in various wayswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scopeof the invention is to be measured by the appended claims.

1. A flexible valve element comprising at least three cylindrical moldedlegs, a seamless straight-through bore axis, at least two molded-ingaskets tolerance fitted to fit at least one valve casing or othersanitary equipment or piping, and at least one rigid back-up cupintegrally joined to the end of said flexible valve element that alignsinto said at least one valve casing, wherein each of at least one saidvalve casing has a lock-in groove to receive said at least one rigidback-up cup.
 2. The flexible valve element of claim 1 wherein saidflexible valve element is comprised of a material selected from thegroup consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene/silicone composite,polytetrafluoroethylene/fluoroelastomer composite, thermoplasticcomposite, or platinum-cured silicone.
 3. The flexible valve element ofclaim 1 wherein at least one of said legs has an axial length slightlylonger than a valve casing having an unobstructed straight-through boreflow axis, and wherein said at least one of said legs has a molded-ingasket tolerance fitted for connection to grooved lips at the end ofsaid valve casing.
 4. A flexible valve element for use in a valve, theflexible valve element comprising: at least three cylindrical moldedlegs forming a T connection having a seamless straight-through bore axisto provide unobstructed fluid communication therein; at least twomolded-in gaskets tolerance fitted to fit at least one valve casing orother sanitary equipment or piping, and at least one rigid back-up cupintegrally joined to the end of said flexible valve element that alignsinto said at least one valve casing, wherein each of at least one saidvalve casing has a lock-in groove to receive said at least one rigidback-up cup.
 5. A flexible valve element for use in a valve, theflexible valve element comprising: at least three cylindrical moldedlegs having a seamless straight-through bore axis to provideunobstructed fluid communication therein; at least two molded-in gasketstolerance fitted to fit at least one valve casing or other sanitaryequipment or piping, and at least one rigid back-up cup integrallyjoined to the end of said flexible valve element that aligns into saidat least one valve casing, wherein each of at least one said valvecasing has a lock-in groove to receive said at least one rigid back-upcup, and wherein the at least three cylindrical molded legs are crevicefree with no internal gaskets or flanges.